Kennedy Takes Astorino To Task On Common Core

Democratic Sen. Tim Kennedy of Buffalo is blasting Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino for his recent criticism of the Common Core education standards.

Astorino, in a radio interview this week, knocked the roll out and implementation of the standards by the state as “an awful mistake” and called for a reboot.

State legislative leaders on Tuesday called for a two-year delay of Common Core, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office said such a moratorium would be premature until a package of legislative fixes can be proposed by a new education panel.

Despite the sustained criticism of the program, Kennedy in a letter released Thursday by his office said Astorino’s comments “reveals an ignorance” about state government.

Though Kennedy acknowledges problems with Common Core, he praised Cuomo’s handling of education issues in his 2014-15 budget proposal.

“Before you take the next step and officially launch your campaign, I urge you to consider the role of the executive in influencing this issue,” Kennedy said. “Our schools are in desperate need of additional resources and funding, which is why Governor Cuomo included the Smarter Schools Initiative in his 2014-15 Executive Budget. He’s shown leadership and determination in his work to strengthen educational opportunities.”

Kennedy is the second Senate Democrat to criticize Astorino this week. Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins was critical of the county executive making a joke on Capital Tonight about Medicaid recipients eating soup.

Kennedy’s letter comes also has he faces a Democratic primary challenge later this year that is being supported by the Independent Democratic Conference.

I read your recent attack on Governor Cuomo where you said, “Cuomo’s Common Core has been an awful mistake in this state.”

This comment, coming right before you formed an exploratory committee to formalize your run for Governor, reveals an ignorance on your part about the basic facts of the state government you seek to manage.

There have been major issues with the implementation of Common Core in New York, and that’s why Governor Cuomo is launching a review of the State Education Department’s flawed rollout of Common Core. The Governor is doing something about the challenges facing our education system, while you’re traveling about the state spewing rhetoric and trying to slow down progress.

You should know that Common Core standards are managed by the State Education Department. This department is not controlled in any way by the Governor, but entirely by the Board of Regents, a board with no appointees from the executive chamber. Further, the Common Core curriculum was adopted without any state legislative action. In fact, the Governor had nothing whatsoever to do with the adoption of the standards.

Education issues are among the most important in the state. Before you take the next step and officially launch your campaign, I urge you to consider the role of the executive in influencing this issue. Our schools are in desperate need of additional resources and funding, which is why Governor Cuomo included the Smarter Schools Initiative in his 2014-15 Executive Budget. He’s shown leadership and determination in his work to strengthen educational opportunities.

You seem determined to set off to run a gubernatorial campaign that puts cheap rhetoric first and makes improving our schools a distant concern. As you explore a run for Governor, you may want to enroll in a State Government 101 class to help you get your priorities straight.

This entry was posted by Nick Reisman on February 6, 2014 at 12:20 pm, and is filed under 2014. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Christopher Zaleski

Here’s the reality… Under Cuomo NY has experienced the demise of 39,453 NY state businesses last full year, Cuomo has raided $1.75 billion from the reserves of the already over budget State Insurance Fund (SIF) and now raising Workers Compensation business costs a staggering 10%. Cuomo can not even hold on to his democratic majority which is in the middle of a sexual harassment and corruption scandal with “show-me-the-money culture” and “pay-to-play politics” throughout Albany. Cuomo has disenfranchised the Northern and Western part of New York with his ill conceived and hastily prepared SAFE Act. He has been unable to obtain funding for the flood stricken residents of upstate New York after being caught using 40 million in Sandy aid for a self promotion campaign. Cuomo is afraid to take a stand and make a decision, either way with respect to Marijuana or Fracking. No matter what your position is, Cuomo has left New Yorkers with no resolution to these issues or the ability to move forward. NY has experienced a 67% surge in Food Stamps users, and unbelievably, Cuomo is fighting to cease fingerprinting requirements which combat double dipping and identity fraud. Cuomo has broken all state records for “soft money” contributions which skirt campaign rules despite his campaigning to end this practice. In classic Cuomo style, he has given $420 million in NY tax revenues to Film and Television interests only to have them among his biggest campaign contributors. Cuomo is now listed as one of the worst governors in America by the left-leaning good government group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. New York has the highest taxes in the nation, is the most indebted state, with 33 percent of income dedicated to borrowing. It is ranked as the least “business-friendly” state in the country and if that were not bad enough NY has the distinction of being the least free state in the union and is called the “Nanny State” with politicians legislating what we eat and drink. Municipal governments from Nassau County to Yonkers to Syracuse are teetering. And during Mr. Cuomo’s time in office, unemployment has risen above the national average. 9% of the state’s 2000 population left for another state between 2000 and 2011 — the highest such figure in the nation, see the study by George Mason’s independent libertarian-leaning Mercatus Center.

sherman

Mr Kennedy Cuomo is a common criminal and fraud. He cuts backdoor deals to everyone who can further his abysmal term. As rob says he is like Monty Hall making convoluted and complicated deals on everything he touches. Why not just cut taxes why does everything have to be self serving? He has set up a commision to study the corruption in the state we hell why not just set up camp in his office ??? That is where you will find it . You are just another self serving progressive cancer to the great state of New York who under Cuomo has done irreperable harm to our state. Please LEAVE! Both of you!